Apparatus for keying-up rolling mill housings



APPARATUS FOR KEYING-UP ROLLING MILL HOUSINGS Filed June 7, 1957 G. DAHLGREN Sept. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIVVE/VTOI'? GEORGE DAHLGREN QOMMA A f/orney Sept. 1, 1959 G. DAHLGRE IN 2,901,931 APPARATUS FOR KEYING-UP ROLLING MILL HOUSINGS Filed June 7, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v 1 .1 J V //VVEN TOR N GEORGE DAHL GWEN Aflorney i. invention relates to apparatusr'fm': keyingmp a rolling mill, i.e.,, maintaining a tight-fit.- of the partsthereof which determine the setting or adjustment of the spaced housings composing a mill stand.

A mill stand for rolling structural shapes.- such as H- beams usually comprises a fixed housing and an adjustable housing secured thereto by horizontal tie rods with spacers between the housings. Each of two horizontal rolls is journaled in the two housings and a vertical roll is journaled in each housing to complete the pass. The spacing of the vertical rolls may be changed by moving the adjustable housing but is determined by the spacers between the housings and the latter must be pulled tightly against the spacers to key up" the stand and eliminate looseness. This has been done heretofore by using U- section spacers or compression sleeves on the overhanging portions of the tie rods and driving through slots in the rods, wedging keys which engage the sleeves. Thermal expansion of the rods or vibration from normal rolling operations may relax the tension in the rods and thereby disturb the adjustment of the housings causing the mill to roll off-gage product.

I have invented power means for keying-up the mill and automatically compensating for thermal elongation of the tie rods, thereby maintaining the tension therein and the tightness of the mill setting. Essentially, my invention comprises means including constantly acting hydraulic motors for exerting tension on the tie rods throughout the rolling operation, to take up and compensate for any looseness which might otherwise result from thermal expansion.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawmgs: I

Figure l is an elevation of a mill stand for rolling wide-flange beams, having the invention incorporated therein, with parts in vertical section and parts omitted;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in section along line II---II of Figure 1 and partly in elevation, the mill stand being omitted; and

Figure 3 is a portion of Figure 1 to enlarged scale.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and for the present, particularly to Figure 1, a mill stand S for rolling wide-flanged beams comprises housings 10 and 11 standing on mill shoes 12. Housing 11 is secured to the shoes by clamp bolts 13. Housing 10 is adjustable along the shoes by known means (not shown). When adjusted, it is secured rigidly in spaced relation to housing 11 by tie rods 14 extending horizontally through the housings, and spacer blocks 15 and 16. Nuts 14a are screwed on the ends of rods 14 on the outside of housing 11. The mill stand also includes top and bottom horizontal rolls 17 and 18 journaled in housings 10 and 11 and vertical rolls 19 and 20 journaled one in each housing. The construction described so far is known and further details thereof are unnecessary. My invention ice concerns only the means for exerting constant tension on' rods 14 to key up the stand and keep it in that condi tion; The details thereof are shown at the left-hand'end of Figure 1' and in Figure 2.

The outboard ends of rods 14 extend through a struc tura'l frame F including columns'z land pairs of transome 22 and 23- carried thereby. Transoms 22' and earryrectangular slide'bearing's 2 4 for nuts 25 and 26. A sleeve 27 slipped on rods 14 has its ends threaded" Witlr s'crews of opposite pitch and the bores of nut's 25 and; 26 are correspondingly threadedi Rotationof sleeves 27: inone direction causes nuts 25 to exert a thrust away from the stand 8- and nuts 26 to exert' athrusttoward the stand. The thrust of nuts 25 is applied tokeys 28 inserted through slots in the end'sof the rods 14-" and the thrust of nuts 26 is applied to U-section spacers 29 placed over the rods and bearing against housing 10. Bearing collars 30 are placed on rods 14 between nut 25 and key 28 and between nut 26 and spacers 29. Thus the mill stand is keyed up by applying tension to the rods 14 and pressure to spacers 29, i.e., housing 10 is forced tightly against blocks 15 and 16 and the latter against housing 11.

The mechanism for actuating the sleeves 27 is shown clearly in Figure 2.. Alined double-acting cylinders 31 and 32 having their adjacent ends connected, are mounted on a plate 33 extending between the transoms 22 and 23 on the mill side of the structural frame F. Blocks 34 attached to the piston rods of the cylinders are slidable in ways 35 also carried by plate 33. Equalizer levers 36 are pivoted to the piston rods of the cylinders 31 and 32. Links 37 and 38 are pivoted to the ends of each lever 36 and to cranks 39 keyed to the sleeves 27 of the tie rods on one side of a vertical plane through the axes of rolls 17 and 18.

By applying fluid pressure from any convenient source to the rod ends of cylinders 31 and 32, levers 36 are pulled toward each other causing rotation of sleeves 27 through a limited angle as shown in chain lines, in such direction as to key up the stand. This pressure is maintained throughout rolling operations. Thus, if rods 14 elongate as by thermal expansion, take-up or compensation is effected instantly by the fluid pressure constantly applied to the cylinders, which is effective to maintain a constant tension in the rods. When it is desired to change the setting of the mill by moving stand 10 along shoes 12 and replacing spacer blocks 15 and 16 with others of different length, admission of fluid pressure to a port between the pistons of cylinders 31 and 32, together with relief of the pressure on the rod ends, will turn sleeves 27 through a limited angle in the reverse direction, removing the tension from tie rods 14 and the pressure from spacers 29.

It will be apparent that the invention provides simple yet effective means for keying-up a mill stand initially after adjustment, and maintaining the movable housing rigidly in spaced relation to the stationary housing throughout rolling operations despite expansion of the tie rods, by constantly applied fluid pressure exerting tension on the rods and compression on the spacers. The mechanical advantage secured by cranks 39 and screw sleeves 27 permits the desired tension and compression to be established by the use of only relatively low-pressure fluid in cylinders 31 and 32.

Although I have disclosed herein the preferred embodiment of my invention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a beam-rolling mill, including a pair of upright housings, one fixed and the other movable from and to- Ward the fixed housing, horizontal spacers between said housings, horizontal tie rods extending laterally from the fixed housing through the movable housing and beyond it and spacer sleeves on the outboard portions of said rods bearing against said movable housing, the combination therewith of means including hydraulic motors adapted constantly to apply tension to said rods and compression to said sleeves, thereby holding said movable housing tightly against said spacers despite thermal elongation of said rods.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized by said means including also screw means on each rod effective to apply opposite thrusts to said rods and sleeves, respectively.

3. Apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized by said means including also a screw sleeve rotatable on each rod and a nut in which said sleeve is threaded, en-

gaging one of said rods and its spacer sleeve.

4. Apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized by said means including also a screw sleeve rotatable on each rod having threads of opposite pitch at its ends and nuts into which said sleeve is threaded, said nuts engaging the rod and its spacer sleeve, respectively.

5. Apparatus as described .in claim 4, characterized by a crank arm on each screw-sleeve and means whereby said motor exerts torque on said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,116 McKiernan Dec. 2, 1873 288,501 Shaffer Nov. 13, 1883 889,315 Kenyon June 2, 1908 1,891,579 Schreck Dec. 20, 1932 2,320,869 Jenkins June 1, 1943 2,541,279 Peterson Feb. 13, 1951 2,825,217 Byrd Mar. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 449 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1914 1,078,948 France May 19, 1954 

